Monday, October 5, 2009

So I know I am super late on the boat for this particular item but I still had to post about it. Just because it really is as great as everyone says it is, better late than never! I had been wanting the Ben Nye Grande Lumiere Palette for the longest time after seeing all of the great reviews of it from everyone. Ben Nye makes theatrical makeup, so these eyeshadows are very well-pigmented. I bought mine from www.ei.edu which was the cheapest price + shipping that I could find online. It came to a total of about $55, which for 12 super high-quality shadows is a great deal. About $4.59 per shadow!

The palette looks like one of those watercolor sets from when we were little, with a metal case and what looks like wells of paint. There is also a brush between the eyeshadow pots. I think they must've updated the brush because the one I got doesn't look like the really low-quality ones I've seen in reviews before. It's a simple synthetic brush with a flat, rounded tip. Not sure how useful it would actually be with this particular palette, but not bad overall.

I absolutely love how bright the colors in this set are. So, of course, gotta give you some eye candy! Here are some gorgeous close-ups.

And here are some swatches in natural light. This is swatched dry with no base. The only one that took more than a swipe was Iced Gold, which I would also say didn't feel quite as finely milled as the rest. Azalea, Cosmic Blue, and Jade are like WOAH BABY pigmented.

When swatched wet, these are practically like paints! Not in texture, but yes in coverage. No problems with opacity when wet.

I'd say the really big standouts to me are Azalea, Chartreuse, Cosmic Blue, and Sun Yellow. Cosmic Violet is a pretty, iridescent pinky-purple that could be easily worn with an everyday look, but it is very similar to MAC Stars 'N Rockets, Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow in Fishnet, and NYX Purple (everyone should own at least one of these). I don't even know if there is anything to dupe Azalea's intensity though! And I definitely don't have anything the same shade as Chartreuse which is fantastic because I love me some nice greens.

These shadows all have a sheen to them, so they are not matte by any means. Since they are so bright it might also not be the best for "everyday" looks in general but I can't wait to use it for those nice pops of color thrown in there. I also recently used this for a "rainbow eye" with a girly punk look on a recent photoshoot and the shadows were applied dry. It really came out quite dreamy. I can't wait to share the pics with you guys!

Anyway, I'm gonna try to relax for the rest of the night. Today was a bit stressful, but such is the nature of work in this economy! It's always good advice to be humble and grateful for what we've got since you don't know when it will be gone.

I am grateful for all of my readers especially. I can't tell you how much you lift me up when I need it! ^^ Nice to know that friends don't cost money!

13 comments:

Thanks for the swatches! I've never heard of them but they look amazing; I think I'd want to buy this for my mom on her birthday or for Christmas. & if they're that bright in pictures, I can't even imagine how the colors would look in person. Thanks for your hard work Jen, really appreciate your time & effort! :)

Jen, this palette looks great. I was wondering if you had any advice for some awesome darkish pink (just not bubble gum pink)eyeshadow, drugstore brands that are heavily pigmented?LMK. It's for my craft fair this Saturday/Sunday where I'm gonna be selling jewelry in a Vampire Geisha outfit.. haha :X

I picked up the colors in that palette a few years ago as individual shadows (minus the silvers and golds), and they are worth it. Lumieres are some of the best shadows I have ever come across, and they're pretty big pans, too.